NameCensus.

UK surname

Penn

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a hill, mountain, or enclosure.

In the 1881 census there were 2,712 people recorded with the Penn surname, ranking it #1,641 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,848, ranked #1,760, down from #1,641 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Norfolk, Allerdale and Carse and Grangemouth Old Town.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Penn is 4,204 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 41.9%.

1881 census count

2,712

Ranked #1,641

Modern count

3,848

2016, ranked #1,760

Peak year

1998

4,204 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Penn had 2,712 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,641 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,848 in 2016, ranked #1,760.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,974 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Penn surname distribution map

The map shows where the Penn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Penn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Penn over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1,803 #1,600
1861 historical 1,662 #1,723
1881 historical 2,712 #1,641
1891 historical 2,893 #1,633
1901 historical 3,510 #1,587
1911 historical 3,974 #1,286
1997 modern 4,089 #1,584
1998 modern 4,204 #1,606
1999 modern 4,184 #1,627
2000 modern 4,193 #1,610
2001 modern 4,068 #1,628
2002 modern 4,144 #1,633
2003 modern 4,024 #1,642
2004 modern 4,006 #1,649
2005 modern 3,906 #1,665
2006 modern 3,836 #1,706
2007 modern 3,861 #1,708
2008 modern 3,887 #1,708
2009 modern 3,959 #1,720
2010 modern 4,018 #1,724
2011 modern 3,938 #1,736
2012 modern 3,911 #1,720
2013 modern 3,974 #1,719
2014 modern 3,967 #1,735
2015 modern 3,878 #1,752
2016 modern 3,848 #1,760

Geography

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Where Penns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Walthamstow, Low Leyton and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Norfolk, Allerdale, Carse and Grangemouth Old Town, Chiltern and Wiltshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Walthamstow, Low Leyton Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Norfolk 012 South Norfolk
2 Allerdale 004 Allerdale
3 Carse and Grangemouth Old Town Falkirk
4 Chiltern 001 Chiltern
5 Wiltshire 043 Wiltshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Penn

These lists show first names that appear often with the Penn surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Penn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Penn, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Penn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Penn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Penn is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Penn is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Penn falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Penn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Penn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Penn

The surname Penn originated in England, deriving from the Old English word 'penn' meaning an enclosure or pen for animals. It was likely an occupational surname for someone who worked as a keeper of animals or managed such enclosures.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Penn surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record from 1086. The name appeared as 'Penne' in Somerset, referring to a landed person or landowner.

In the 13th century, records show instances of the surname Penn appearing in various parts of England, including Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. These early spellings included 'Penne', 'Penne', and 'Penne'.

The Penn surname is also closely associated with the town of Penn in Buckinghamshire, which likely derived its name from the same Old English word. Some early bearers of the surname may have hailed from or been associated with this location.

One notable individual with the Penn surname was William Penn (1644-1718), the English Quaker leader and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania in North America. He was an influential figure in the early colonial history of the United States.

Another historically significant bearer of the Penn surname was Sir William Penn (1621-1670), an English admiral and the father of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. He played a significant role in the naval wars between England and the Netherlands during the 17th century.

John Penn (1700-1746) was another member of the Penn family, serving as the proprietor of Pennsylvania from 1726 to 1746. He played a crucial role in the governance and development of the colony.

Thomas Penn (1702-1775) was the son of William Penn and also served as the proprietor of Pennsylvania from 1746 to 1775. He oversaw the colony's growth and development during a significant period of its history.

John Thomas Penn (1760-1834) was the last proprietor of Pennsylvania, inheriting the position from his father, Thomas Penn. He played a role in the transition of Pennsylvania from a colony to a state after the American Revolutionary War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Penn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Penn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 457 Penns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.73x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 457 1.73x
Staffordshire 239 2.68x
Warwickshire 219 3.29x
Surrey 213 1.66x
Northamptonshire 201 8.10x
Kent 149 1.66x
Worcestershire 142 4.12x
Sussex 94 2.11x
Hertfordshire 86 4.73x
Essex 78 1.50x
Yorkshire 72 0.28x
Buckinghamshire 71 4.45x
Hampshire 71 1.31x
Oxfordshire 69 4.24x
Lancashire 54 0.17x
Gloucestershire 47 0.91x
Leicestershire 46 1.57x
Derbyshire 43 1.04x
Berkshire 35 1.77x
Cumberland 34 1.50x
Glamorgan 27 0.59x
Devon 24 0.44x
Cheshire 21 0.36x
Lincolnshire 20 0.47x
Stirlingshire 16 1.64x
Monmouthshire 15 0.79x
Norfolk 15 0.37x
Wiltshire 15 0.64x
Angus 14 0.57x
Northumberland 14 0.36x
Bedfordshire 13 0.95x
Lanarkshire 13 0.15x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.31x
Shropshire 10 0.44x
Durham 8 0.10x
Flintshire 6 0.85x
Midlothian 6 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.30x
East Lothian 5 1.43x
Somerset 4 0.09x
Dorset 3 0.17x
Fife 3 0.19x
Herefordshire 3 0.28x
Renfrewshire 3 0.15x
Isle of Man 2 0.41x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.33x
Suffolk 2 0.06x
Cardiganshire 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 0.32x
West Lothian 1 0.25x
Westmorland 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 58 Penns recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.62x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 58 2.62x
Lambeth 53 2.30x
Walthamstow 53 28.28x
Islington London 52 2.03x
Northampton St Sepulchre 47 37.24x
Kingswinford 41 12.68x
Hackney London 37 2.50x
Aston 35 1.91x
Shoreditch London 34 2.97x
Leicester St Margaret 31 4.35x
Newington 30 3.08x
Dudley 25 5.97x
Sedgley 25 7.56x
Wolverhampton 25 3.65x
Bethnal Green London 24 2.09x
Walsall Foreign 24 5.22x
Wolverley 24 79.37x
Clerkenwell London 23 3.69x
Crosscanonby 23 30.63x
Croydon 23 3.22x
Hardingstone 23 97.13x
Stoke Upon Trent 23 2.44x
Poling 21 1288.34x
Bromley London 20 3.45x
Charlton 20 33.46x
Pembury 20 156.74x
St Pancras London 20 0.94x
Westbury On Severn East 20 17.10x
Coventry Holy Trinity 19 9.57x
Northampton Priory St 19 12.76x
Brighton 18 2.01x
Lye 18 31.40x
Tipton 18 6.60x
Bermondsey 16 2.04x
Cannock 16 10.30x
Deptford St Paul 16 2.31x
Everton 16 1.60x
Stourbridge 16 18.05x
West Bromwich 16 3.14x
Hammersmith London 15 2.31x
Neithrop 15 27.40x
Airth 14 113.27x
Bradford 14 2.21x
Buckland 14 179.49x
Kingston On Thames 14 4.53x
Sheet 14 239.32x
Toxteth Park 14 1.32x
Coventry St Michael 13 6.08x
Dover St James 13 32.96x
Ecton 13 232.97x
Harborne 13 4.56x
St Marylebone London 13 0.92x
St Vigeans 13 9.86x
West Ham 13 1.13x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 12 4.93x
Camberwell 12 0.71x
Clapham 12 3.64x
Ealing 12 5.09x
Edmonton 12 5.65x
Leamington Priors 12 7.33x
Little Houghton 12 260.87x
Portsea 12 1.13x
Blendworth 11 408.92x
Chesterfield 11 7.11x
Hampstead London 11 2.68x
Kensington London 11 0.75x
St Albans St Peter 11 17.93x
Tonbridge 11 3.39x
Tottenham 11 2.62x
Baldock 10 58.51x
Belbroughton 10 55.96x
Bowling 10 3.86x
Dallington 10 68.59x
Edgbaston 10 4.85x
Hayes 10 37.15x
Heston 10 11.42x
Holywell 10 49.53x
Kidderminster Borough 10 4.96x
Leominster 10 69.78x
Northampton All Sts 10 11.88x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Penn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 158
Elizabeth 94
Sarah 88
Ann 48
Eliza 48
Jane 44
Emma 43
Ellen 40
Alice 36
Annie 34
Emily 34
Caroline 24
Harriet 24
Hannah 23
Ada 20
Charlotte 19
Florence 19
Louisa 19
Martha 19
Kate 18
Edith 17
Lucy 17
Fanny 14
Maria 14
Amelia 11
Harriett 10
Margaret 10
Catherine 9
Esther 9
Helen 9
Amy 8
Clara 8
Rose 8
Susan 8
Agnes 7
Eleanor 7
Frances 7
Henrietta 7
Minnie 7
Beatrice 6
Betsy 6
Julia 6
Lizzie 6
Rebecca 6
Rosa 6
Sophia 6
Susannah 6
Anne 5
Lydia 5
Ruth 5

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Penn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 216
John 141
Thomas 93
George 83
James 76
Charles 69
Henry 56
Joseph 54
Frederick 33
Alfred 31
Edward 31
Arthur 29
Robert 27
Walter 24
Samuel 23
Richard 22
Harry 20
Albert 17
Ernest 14
Frank 14
David 13
Francis 13
Herbert 10
Edwin 8
Thos. 7
Chas. 6
Benjamin 4
Caleb 4
Daniel 4
Frederic 4
Philip 4
Sidney 4
Wm. 4
Alexander 3
Isaac 3
Jabez 3
Jeremiah 3
Jesse 3
Noah 3
Phillip 3
Stephen 3
Wilfred 3
Willm. 3
Amos 2
Christopher 2
Fredk. 2
Mayson 2
Percy 2
R. 2
Reginald 2

FAQ

Penn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Penn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,712 people were recorded with the Penn surname. That placed it at #1,641 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Penn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,848 in 2016. That gives Penn a modern rank of #1,760.

What does the Penn surname mean?

An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a hill, mountain, or enclosure.

What does the Penn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Penn bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.